


Let Them

by goloosepidge (dauntperplexity)



Category: Voltron: Legendary Defender
Genre: Bruises, Canon Compliant, Gen, Injury Recovery, M/M, Post 7.01
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2018-08-06
Updated: 2018-08-06
Packaged: 2019-06-22 22:22:02
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 1
Words: 2,227
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/15592041
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/dauntperplexity/pseuds/goloosepidge
Summary: “Keith.”“Yeah?” Keith asked, not realizing Shiro was looking at his chest. Or that his suit wasn’t on. He sucked in a breath when he saw the bruises all over his chest and torso. “It looks a lot worse than it actually is.”Shiro finally looked up. “Was that from me?”





	Let Them

**Author's Note:**

> My first foray into Voltron fic. I wanted to get this out before the new season started.

“So, you’re okay?” Keith looked at Allura who was standing at the head of the pod with her hands on either side of Shiro’s head. “He’s okay?”

Allura’s hands stopped glowing and she pulled them back. “He’s fine,” she said with a smile. She moved to help Shiro sit up. “The body accepted Shiro’s consciousness. I also healed any small injuries I found. He may need something to eat and drink, and he still needs some rest. But he’s as healthy as he’s ever been.”

“I’ll go get him something to eat,” Keith said. He put a hand on Shiro’s shoulder and squeezed it. “I’m glad you’re okay.”

Shiro reached up and put his hand on Keith’s. He gave it a light squeeze and smiled. “I’m glad too.”

“You rest. I’ll be back with food. We have food here, right?” Keith asked. The castle was gone. He wasn’t sure how many provisions they had.

“I’ll find something,” Krolia said. “You need to rest too.”

“I’m fine,” Keith said. “Let me just get this for Shiro, then I’ll sleep.” He reluctantly let go of Shiro’s shoulder.

“Keith,” Krolia said, leaving no room for argument. “Go get cleaned up. I’ll keep an eye on Shiro for you.”

Keith looked at Shiro, then at his mom. He sighed, not willing to fight them. Now that he wasn’t worried about Shiro or Lotor attacking, he was exhausted. He held his hand out and Pharos blinked next to him. “You want to come with me, or do you wanna stay here?” he asked. He smiled as Pharos nuzzled his leg. “Okay.” He looked back up at everyone else. “Call me if you need anything.”

“We will,” Allura said. “I just want to do one more check on Shiro, then we’ll figure out how to proceed next now that we have the phonatonium.”

Keith nodded, knowing that his mom would fill him in on whatever he missed while he slept. He headed over one of the rooms in the black lion and sat down on the edge of the bed. He looked over his shoulder when the door opened and closed again. He frowned when he saw his mom standing there. “You said you were gonna watch Shiro,” he said, standing up.

Pharos blinked in front of Keith’s legs to keep him from stepping away from the bed. The wolf could sense that Keith needed to rest.

“Allura is checking on him. It should take a few minutes. She understood that I needed to check on my son.”

“I’m fine,” Keith said, more tired than aggressive.

“Keith,” she said.

Keith sighed and sat back down on the bed. Pharos blinked so that he could drape across Keith’s lap. “Just… it’s been a long few days.” He moved to take off the outer paladin armor. He grunted as he removed the upper half and dropped it to the floor.

“For you more than most,” Krolia said. “You haven’t slept since we arrived. From finding Romelle to whatever happened with Shiro to that fight with Lotor.”

“I’m—”

“Fine. I know.” She walked around the bed to sit next to her son. She turned his body so that she could access the zippers on the back. She undid it and opened it, wincing when she saw the bruises decorating his back. “Do you want to talk about what happened with Shiro?”

Keith shook his head. “No,” he said softly. He ran his fingers through Pharos’s hair. “It. It doesn’t matter now. He’s okay. He’s…”

“Maybe I can ask Allura to heal you too,” she said, helping to pull the undersuit off of him.

“No,” he said quickly. “She needs to save her strength, just in case something happens with Shiro.”

“He’s okay, Keith. You heard her.”

“You can’t be sure ofthat. Something could change.” He tried to stand up again, but Pharos and his mom wouldn’t let him.

“You aren't leaving this room until you get some sleep, Keith. You’re no good to the team or to Shiro if you are dead on your feet.”

Keith sighed. That moment of fight seemed to exhaust him further as it left his body. “Yeah, okay.” His mom definitely knew how to guilt trip him.

She unzipped the rest of the suit, then stood up. She petted Pharos on his head. “Keep him here. Don’t let him leave.” Pharos barked once as if he were agreeing. “I’ll be back after I make sure Shiro eats something.”

“Thanks, mom,” he said.

Krolia kissed Keith on his forehead before standing up to leave him to clean up and get some rest.

Keith pulled the suit off his shoulders and down his arms with a groan. Since he had been running on adrenaline the last few days, he hadn’t felt any of his injuries. But, now that everything had calmed down, he could feel every punch and kick and throw that Shiro landed on him. It was a lot to feel at once.

Keith stayed seated on the edge of the bed, focusing on the wall in front of him. The only thing moving was his hand as it carded through Pharos’s fur.

He didn’t know how much time had passed when he heard the door open again. He sighed. He could’ve been sitting for an hour and he would’ve have known. “I know, I know,” Keith said. “I’ll clean up in a minute.” He also wasn’t sure he’d be able to stay awake long enough to clean up.

“K-Keith?”

Keith turned around and saw Shiro standing in the doorway. “What…” Pharos immediately blinked away and turned up right next to Shiro. “Should you be walking around?” he asked, finally able to stand up.

“I’m fine. I got something to eat and drink. Allura said it’d be okay if I walked around for a bit.”

“Oh, okay,” he said, pushing down the panic that had come up. “Good. That’s good.” Looking Shiro over, Keith saw that he looked better. He was out of his paladin suit and in something more comfortable. It was amazing what a healing pod and Allura’s healing hands could do to someone’s consciousness when being put into a clone’s body.

Shiro watched as Keith walked over to him. His eyes moved from Keith’s face to his chest. “Keith.”

“Yeah?” Keith asked, not realizing Shiro was looking at his chest. Or that his suit wasn’t on. He sucked in a breath when he saw the bruises all over his chest and torso. “It looks a lot worse than it actually is.”

Shiro finally looked up. “Was that from me?” He reached out to lay his hand against the darkest patch of bruisings right under Keith’s ribs.

“It wasn’t you,” Keith said, stepping back. He moved to put the suit back on, biting his lip to keep himself from wincing at he did.

“Stop,” Shiro said. He stepped forward. “I… I should get Allura.”

Keith’s hand shot out to grab Shiro’s. “No, don’t,” he said. He meant what he told his mom. If it was a choice between Allura healing him or Shiro, he’d always choose Shiro. “I’m okay,” he said, letting go of Shiro’s hand.

“But, you’re not,” he said. “Something could be broken.”

“Shiro. Just… I’m fine. I’ll sleep and it’ll be okay.”

“Sleeping won’t heal broken ribs, Keith.”

“Allura can’t heal me,” Keith said. “I won’t let her.”

“Why not?” Shiro asked. He looked at Keith’s face, his eyes going to the scar on his right cheek. A memory flashed. Him holding a heated blade against Keith’s galra blade and pressing down.

He could hear the blade searing the flesh on Keith’s face.

And he couldn’t let go of it.

Until Keith cut off his entire arm.

The memory ended and he was standing too close to Keith now.

“Shiro?” Keith asked as he saw Shiro put some space between them.

“You.” Shiro kept staring at the scar. And at the bruises. And at the bags under Keith’s eyes. “You didn’t fight back.”

“I did,” Keith said quickly. “A little.” He moved to sit at the foot of the bed. “I didn’t want to hurt you.”

“I was trying to kill you. I could have.”

“I had to get you back,” Keith said.

“Not at the risk to yourself.”

“It doesn’t matter now. It happened. We both made it out. Isn’t that what matters?” Kent sighed. He was tired. He didn’t want to keep rehashing the fight and the things that were said. And the almost losing Shiro.

“I want to talk about this,” Shiro said.

“Not tonight. I don’t think I can handle talking about that tonight.”

“Alright,” Shiro said. “I just need you to know. Keith. The things I said during our fight.”

“It wasn’t you,” Keith said. It was Haggar. It wasn’t Shiro.

“It was,” Shiro said. He hated to say it, but it was true. He said those things.

“Shiro,” Keith said with a sigh. “You. The real you would never have said anything like that to me.”

“It was my voice. My thoughts.” Haggar had tapped into his thoughts. His memories. And she used it against both of them. “He said things that were supposed to hurt you.”

Keith knew that was exactly what the clone was doing. “Two years ago, it might have. But not now. I’m okay now.”

“Two years,” Shiro said. Keith had aged two years when it had only been months for him and the rest of the crew. He had grown up so much.

“It takes some time for a space whale to make it across the quantum abyss.”

“I see. Well, I should let you clean up and get some sleep. You look like you need it.” Shiro tried to turn to walk out of of the room, but Pharos moved to block his way.

“Pharos, here,” Keith said, patting the bed. He frowned when Pharos didn’t move. “Pharos, come on. Shiro wants to leave.” Instead, Pharos nudged Shiro toward the bed. He stayed near the door. “Pharos.”

Shiro took a step forward. “It’s okay, Keith.”

Keith sighed. “Is there anything you needed to do outside?” He stood up, ready to physically move Pharos if he needed to.

Shiro stepped forward and put a hand on Keith’s shoulder to keep him from moving too far from the bed. “I was just going to find a place to sleep,” he said.

“Bed’s right here,” Keith said, gesturing to it. “You can use this one. I’ll find another one.”

Shiro kept his hand on Keith. He gave his shoulder a gentle squeeze. “Bed’s big enough,” he said.

“Shiro, it’s fine,” Keith said.

“Keith,” Shiro said and let go of his shoulder. “I know that you’ve sprouted up over the last two years, but you’re not big enough that we can’t share this bed. I’m exhausted. You’re past exhausted. I don’t think either of us will do well trying to find another place to sleep.”

“You’re probably right.” Keith looked at the door and saw that Pharos was not going to move an inch. “You get comfortable. I need to change out of this suit.” Kent walked into a closet and found a shirt and sweatpants to change into. He was quick to change, and he wanted to be sure that Shiro couldn’t see him as he did. He knew he looked bad, but he was not going to let Shiro feel guilty about something he had no control over.

He stepped back into the room and saw Shiro sitting on the bed, leaning against the headboard. Pharos was still standing near the door. As soon as Pharos saw him, he blinked to his side.

“We’re gonna have a long talk about this later,” he said, running his fingers through Pharos’ fur. He sighed as Pharos nudged him to the bed.

Keith sat down on the bed, mirroring Shiro’s position. He winced as he tried to get into a comfortable position. Once he did, he sighed and leaned back. He could fall asleep like this.

“I’m sorry,” Shiro said after he noticed how long it took for Keith to get comfortable.

“Shiro, I already told you—”

“I know,” Shiro said. He looked over at the empty space where his arm should have been. He was glad it was gone. “It wasn’t me. But I think he’d want to apologize if he could.”

“He doesn’t need to apologize either,” Keith said. He looked over at Shiro and saw that he needed more of an answer. He sighed, his shoulders slumping. “But. If he did apologize. I’d tell him that it wasn’t his fault. And that I’ll be okay.”

Shiro nodded. “Thank you,” he said. He glanced at Keith and saw that he looked like he was ready to pass out. “We should try and get some sleep.”

Pharos disappeared and reappeared spread out between them.

Keith yawned and scooted down to rest his head on the pillow. “Yeah. Okay,” he mumbled. He turned so Pharos was at his back, like they had been sleeping for the last two years, but they hadn’t in the last few days. “Wake me if you need anything.” He was asleep and snoring softly a minute later.

Shiro moved to lie down as Pharos curled up against Keith. “I will,” Shiro said. But, all he really needed was for Keith to rest and heal.

**Author's Note:**

> You can find me on tumblr at goloosepidge.


End file.
